1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an unmanned air vehicle system intended to follow other than a ballistic trajectory and, particularly, to such a system which utilizes substantially similar forward and aft air vehicles in a tandem relationship.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has long been known to construct multi-stage ballistic missiles powered by either solid fuel or liquid fuel rocket engines with two or more stages connected in tandem. Usually, the engines for the different stages are operational in succession, that is, when the fuel of one stage is spent, that stage drops off and a successor unit is ignited. Typical of such constructions are U.S. Patents to Howison U.S. Pat. No. 3,262,266, to Crossett U.S. Pat. No. 3,245,351, to Shryock U.S. Pat. No. 3,310,947, and to Blankenagel U.S. Pat. No. 3,491.692.
In a number of instances, there is provision on a forward vehicle of such a tandem vehicle arrangement for guiding or deflecting exhaust gases laterally to avoid harm to an aft vehicle. The patents to Howison and Crossett, noted above, as well as to Chilosky U.S. Pat. No. 3,233,548, to Osborne et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,730, and to Hickman U.S. Pat. No. 2,503,271 disclose various arrangements for achieving this goal.
It is also known to mount plural rockets in an elongated launch tube with associated guide and launch equipment for each rocket and to mount the launch tube, for example, beneath the wing of an attack aircraft or onboard a ship. Typical instances of tandem rocket launchers are found in U.S. Patents to Hagelberg et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,342,252 and 4,433,606, and to Gould U.S. Pat. No. 3,199,406. Unfortunately, launch tubes add significantly to the weight and drag of the attack aircraft and, therefore, significantly reduce its performance. Nonetheless, it would not be desirable to discard the launch tubes following launch of their associated rockets because of their substantial replacement cost.
It has also been known to provide a multiple-unit projectile whose component units separate all the projectiles in flight, the following unit striking a target at a time delay interval after the leading unit strikes, whereby the maximum penetration and destructive effect of the successive impacts of the projectiles on the same spot or area of the target may be attained. The U.S. Pat. No. 2,804,823 to Jablansky is typical of such a known construction.
It was with knowledge of the prior art as just described that the present invention has been conceived and is now reduced to practice.